GuitarMan686 Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 Hello guitar brothers and sisters around the globe. I want to find out what are some of the best sounding pickups out their. I play alot of blues, jazz, classic rock, and metal. I need a really nice crisp and clean rhythm and a treble that can give me the crunch i need with out being to muddy. A lot of people are bad mouthing dimarizo and seymour duncan. Are there any really good unknown pickup companys out there? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 You're not going to find the perfect end-all pickup with such a diverse playing style. Jazz pickups will be about as mellow as they get, and for metal you want something that will scream. The only halfway solution I see is to put a mellow pickup in the neck and metal pickup in the bridge. I've never tried this before, but it seems to me like if you selected both pickups at the same time with that setup it'd get really muddy. Also, it will help to know what kind of guitar you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Balls Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 Best pickup manufacturer: Rio Grande. look into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester700 Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 IMO there isn't really a "best". It's all a taste call, and basically it's just magnets & wires. These things ain't worth $60, let alone over $100. So, find something you like - listen to lots of stuff until something turns you on. I agree with the idea that for the disparate styles you like, you might want a jazz neck & a metal bridge and "take what you get" when combining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moreau Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 Hey there, im not very up to date on the pickups, but Dimebag darrell used to have a dimebucker in the bridge and a 59 reissue in the neck. and dont jazz players use the neck pickup alot? so maybe this combo will help ya with the metal, vintage jazzz sound. but i dont know anything bout pickups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nalo1022 Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 Actually Dimebag had a Bill Lawrence L500xl...then SD made his signature dimebucker modeled after the L500....Coicedently the L500xl is one of my favorite pickups it defintiely screams, nad it come in 4 varietes from clean to extra lead so ida say throw a coupel of L500s in your rig ....alot of soudns can be had wit this pickup you just need to play around with the tone knob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 For me, I use a Seymour Duncan Model 59 clean in the neck, it is supposed to give a good mellow sound, and then I am using a Seymour Duncan Model 59 Dirty in the bridge, which is supposed to be good for soloing and such I will be upgrading to a Duncan Distortion eventually, but not for a while Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 To me the answer is simple. Jester's right, there is no "best" and that kind of rhetoric doesn't help anyone. Based on what you said, a Bartolini system with an active boost will absolutely nail the sounds and flexibility you're looking for. Most true jazz players have the utmost respect for Bartolinis. They are superior to SD/Dimarzio when it comes to string-to-string clarity and separation. For your situation, that means they don't get muddy, even if you choose a warm, thick sounding pickup. So you choose a set that has the tonal characteristics you want for blues, jazz, and maybe hard rock. (since all those styles have been done with a PAF at some point anyways) Then set the active boost for a bright upper midrange boost that will make the pickups "scream" and you still might use it for blues solos, but it will totally do the "EMG metal" sound, without sounding as sterile. I have no doubt that you would be the happiest with a Bartolini product. Even if you didn't choose the exact model that was best for you, the Bartolini pickups are so flexible that you would probably like it better than any "typical" product out there, especially based on the things you said in your post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 (edited) Who's bad-mouthing Seymour Duncan and Dimarzio? Ed Roman?! The SD Jazz neck and JB bridge is a good combo for just about any style. Alnico II Pros sound good too--just check out Slash. Dimarzio's FRED and PAF Pro/Joe combo is also an excellent choice for versatility. It does come down to your budget, too. Bartolinis and EMGs are going to be more expensive, especially if you start adding on presence and boost controls, but they're going to sound awesome and clean. SD and Dimarzio both make fantastic pickups and popularized the whole concept of tailoring pickup choice to your own style. I use to run an SD Alnico II Pro HB Bridge, Classic Stack mid, and JB Jr. neck in my Strat. I run through a lot more digital effects now, so I switched over to an EMG SA set a few weeks ago and the new sound suits me just fine. I spent $197 on the new setup, but for my current playing style it suits me just fine. Some people like the sound they get out of a $20 MightyMite Motherbucker, some like the sound of an $800 USED set of Joe Bardens. Play around with 'em for a while until you find YOUR sound. But I do recommend the JB/Jazz setup as a good starting point for your interests. Edited January 28, 2005 by crafty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Brian Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 I have an RG770 with a Parallel Axis Distortion Trembucker in the bridge and a bridge model JB in the neck . I didn't have access to a neck version so i tossed it in there. WOW. The PA handles really complex chords with a truckload of gain without issue and the bridge model JB in my neck position is so crisp and clear for soloing. I've tried all emgs (but not the add ons) and a lot of duncans. My personal preference is Seymour Duncans just on the basis that they sound phenomenal in my 770. I'm not sure if they still have it but Duncan had a policy where if you didn't like it within 30 days, you could exchange the pickup for another model. I did that a couple of times about 5 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 I like those GFS 'retro' pickups you can get on ebay...because they look cool. Sound pretty damn good too. But mostly they look really cool --why can't other pickup makers come up with decent looking pups? Oh yeah, another nice thing about GFS...prices are reasonable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepultura999 Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 it is all a matter of taste. i've heard great reviews on seymour duncan pickups and the few that i've tried, i haven't liked. i tried the Reverse Polarity Humbucker in the bridge and the Pearly Gates Plus Humbucker in the neck on the fender Showmaster QBT HH. I also tried the Detonator pickups on a jackson and again wasn't too pleased. maybe i'm very picky . i am dieing to try an emg 60 but i've heard they're too muddy. why not try and build your own pickups? i may have to do that since it'll cost me less money and i'm not walking into anything blind like the emg 60 because no guitars are sold with them here. -Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themusicman Posted January 28, 2005 Report Share Posted January 28, 2005 I say Emg's are about the greatest. I love the 85 in the neck and then 81 in the bridge, good clean tone when you need it, and shake your balls crunch when playing dirty. That's just my opinion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nalo1022 Posted January 29, 2005 Report Share Posted January 29, 2005 lol so at this point it seems leik pretty much everypickup has been recommended Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannoG Posted January 29, 2005 Report Share Posted January 29, 2005 Well just to throw another angle in here I would say don't just stick with the big name brands. There is a growing group of small craftsmen who make great PUs and because they are not wed to a certain product line, they often will make pickups to suit your specific needs. On my first guitar I made I had custom P90s made for me by this guy: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/skgs/sk/Index.htm He asked about what woods and design the guitar would be, what kind of amp I had and what styles of music and tones was I after. He did a very good job, wasn't expensive and offers a great warranty. There are other guys who do similar work, I just know this Stephen K. from that one sale. You do need to wait for a few weeks though, since it is custom. At some point I'll find enough time to wind my own, part way there already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MzI Posted January 29, 2005 Report Share Posted January 29, 2005 Duncan jazz in the neck and jb in the bridge and then throw a coil tap in there, every imaginable combo you can come up with MzI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted January 29, 2005 Report Share Posted January 29, 2005 Well I think and many others do that bareknuckle pickups in england, which are handwound (scatter wound) are the best around, and if the 'stock' products dont take your fancy, then Tim will do a completely unique pickup exactly how you want it for no extra charge. I stand by this man, as they ARE the best for customer service. not only do they sound great but they also do some awesome finishes on the pickup covers! OK £100 for a humbucker or around £170 for a set, but if its for a guitar that will last you years, then maybe its worth it. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted January 29, 2005 Report Share Posted January 29, 2005 Could check out our very own Jon Bell's Swineshead pickups: http://www.swinesheadpickups.com/ Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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